Pacific has a well-deserved reputation for teaching-focused education built on close interaction between exceptional faculty and students. And yet we know the world of higher education is changing quickly, with online courses, for-profit universities, and concerns about the value of a degree. How can Pacific stay true to its values and heritage, while also adapting to the new realities of higher-ed?

Our bold strategic plan, Pacific 2020, is Pacific's answer to a changing world. We will build on our academic strengths, develop new programs to respond to market demand, and deliver our Pacific Experience in powerful and innovative ways.

Twenty years from now, we will look back at 2012 as the year when Pacific made decisions critical to its future success. Thank you for being a part of that transformation.

Pamela A. Eibeck, PhDPresident

A Year of Transformation

We created a new strategic plan, started construction on a new campus in San Francisco, and announced an important change in our athletics conference. Pacific has a history of innovation and will continue to transform in the 21st century.

University Announces New Strategic PlanPacific 2020, the University's bold new strategic plan, charts a course for Pacific to become the leading teaching-focused university in California, preparing graduates for meaningful lives and successful careers. [ more ]

Pacific Returns to the West Coast ConferenceUniversity of the Pacific will come home to the West Coast Conference (WCC) on July 1, 2013. This move will impact the entire University, helping us focus our experience and our identity as a place that celebrates scholarship, learning and competition.

New San Francisco CampusConstruction is under way at the University's new San Francisco campus, a seven-story, 395,000-square-foot building in the south of Market (SOMA) district. The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry will relocate to the building in summer 2014. New programs in a variety of disciplines will soon follow. [ more ]

Beyond Our Gates Reaches Young StudentsHarmony Stockton, part of Pacific's Beyond Our Gates community engagement initiative, is a music academy for underprivileged children based on Venezuela's groundbreaking El Sistema. Harmony Stockton is operated by Stockton Symphony, Pacific's Conservatory of Music and the Benerd School of Education. It is funded by the United Way, the Stockton Symphony and private donations. [ more ]

Accomplishments

The University celebrated a number of notable achievements in and out of the classroom and hosted several large local and regional events featuring nationally known speakers. In addition to marking milestones, Pacific faculty and students were recognized for achieving high honors and awards.

Music Therapy Program Highlighted on PBSPBS NewsHour, a national television news program, broadcast a segment in February that featured the music therapy program at the Conservatory of Music. Pacific's musical therapy program is one of the pioneering programs in the field, and features the only graduate musical therapy program on the West Coast. Under the direction of Dr. Feilin Hsiao, the program is thriving, with great demand among applicants and a stellar record of placement after graduation.

Student Investment Fund Outpaces Standard & Poor's 500Students at University of the Pacific earn real-world experience that better prepares them for life after college, but students in the Eberhardt School of Business are earning more - a 12.3 percent return on investments. Since its establishment in 2007, the student-run fund has achieved a 40 percent growth and has consistently outpaced the Standard & Poor's 500 and Russell Midcap Index benchmark.

Dental Professor Launches New Community Outreach ProgramPaul Glassman, DDS, MA, MBA, leads the Pacific Center for Special Care at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Dr. Glassman has developed and launched a groundbreaking project, the Virtual Dental Home, which provides essential and cost effective service to those who may have otherwise gone without dental care.

Alumni

University of the Pacific alumni have created a distinguished legacy around the globe through their personal and professional achievements and public service. These three alumni returned to campus this year as speakers, mentors and lecturers. They are lifelong Pacificans who embody Pacific’s mission “to prepare individuals for lasting achievement and responsible leadership in their careers and communities.”

Theodore B. Olson '62Prominent attorney and former solicitor general of the United States Theodore B. Olson '62 returned to Pacific in May to deliver the 2012 Commencement Address and celebrate his 50th reunion. Olson is one of two lead attorneys who successfully argued to overturn Proposition 8, a voter-approved law banning same-sex marriage in California. He has argued more than a dozen cases in the United States Supreme Court and received the ABA Medal, the American Bar Association's highest honor.

Larry Groupé '79Two-time Emmy-winning composer Larry Groupé '79 was honored with the Pacific Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service in fall 2011. Groupé is an accomplished composer for television and film. His most recent film score, for the Sony Pictures remake of "Straw Dogs," opened nationwide in September 2011. Groupé continues to mentor the next generation of Pacificans, offering frequent master's classes in the Conservatory of Music.

Jennifer Joines Tamas '03Tiger all-time great Jennifer (Joines) Tamas '03 helped guide the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team to the gold medal in July at the 2012 Pan American Cup. Playing against Brazil, the No. 1 team in the world, Tamas and Team USA rallied for a five-set victory to take home the first Pan American Cup title since 2003. Tamas finished a stellar volleyball career at Pacific in 2003 as Big West's Player of the year, and set the record as Pacific's first four-time All-American. She joined Team USA in 2001 and helped lead the team to a silver medal in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Athletics

Excitement reigned at Pacific Athletics! Long-time Coach Thomason set a new record, a new (but familiar) Athletic Director was named and Tiger athletes excelled in and out of the classroom.

Coach Thomason Breaks RecordMen’s basketball coach Bob Thomason `71 passed Fresno State’s Jerry Tarkanian for the most all-time wins in Big West Conference history, picking up win number 406 on December 3, 2011. Coach Thomason ended the 2011-12 season with a total of 414 wins and has announced he will retire after the 2012-13 season.

Pacific Women's Basketball in Post Season TournamentThe Pacific women's basketball team played in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) for the second time in the program’s history. Three players were named to the All-Big West team: Kendall Rodriguez ’13, Erica McKenzie ’13 and Kendall Kenyon ’15.

Ted Leland to Head AthleticsTed Leland '70, Vice President for External Relations and Athletics, announced he will stay on as athletic director. Leland has developed and will implement a new strategic plan for athletics as well as manage the transition to the West Coast Conference.